Table stakes

Table stakes: A poker term referring to the minimum amount of money a player needs to “table” to have a seat in the game—emphasis on minimum.

If you’re not willing, or can’t afford, to put up table stakes, then you don’t play.

In business, the term “table stakes” is often used to refer to the minimum of something required to operate a business, or build a product, or build a feature, etc.

Unlike poker though, table stakes in business can be subjective. For example:

Some believe that building a product with a 25 year warranty is table stakes; others don’t.

Some believe leather seats, woodgrain panels and a diamond-encrusted steering wheel are table stakes; others don’t.

Some believe honesty as a baseline value is table stakes; others don’t.

Many now believe that climate stewardship is, or ought to be, table stakes.

Plenty don’t.

What’s climate stewardship? In my simple words, it means being at least half aware of your responsibility to do as little harm as possible, while doing what you need to do to keep your organisation running.

Protecting nature, protecting people, not supporting polluters where possible, adding conservation efforts where you can, going the more sustainable option as often as possible, yadda yadda yadda.

Whadd’ya think, table stakes? Or should businesses still be allowed to play if they can’t table at least some of those things…